GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) -The previous executive order that kept bars closed expired Friday evening at 5 o’clock in our state. This means businesses like outdoor bars are allowed to reopen at 30 percent capacity. A lot of the bars in Eastern North Carolina with those outdoor spaces opened right at 5:01pm Friday night, but they had to stop serving alcohol at 11 p.m. in compliance with the alcohol curfew.
People lined the streets before the executive order expired Friday, with some people wearing masks and social distancing and others were not. But last call for alcohol came earlier than normal due to the alcohol curfew.
Some bar goers in Greenville aren’t too happy with the curfew.
Bar owners are just happy to finally reopen, even if it’s just at 30 percent capacity outside.
Bars have been closed for almost 7 months, and according to the Governors executive order, if you don’t have an outdoor space you may have to continue staying closed.
But Mayor PJ Connelly and the City of Greenville are working to keep businesses open.
Mayor Connelly said the city’s main focus is to continue supporting local businesses. The alcohol curfew is set to expire October 23rd. The Safer at Home or Phase Three says that if a bar does NOT have an outdoor area or an outdoor occupancy capacity, they would be limited to no more than 7 customers for every thousand square feet of the outdoor area.
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